1 . In recent studies we have been investigating mirror writing by typical 4-to 6-year-old children. The term is used because the characters — numbered and letters — are reversed (颠倒), yet are correct when looked at in a mirror.
For quite a long time, the mainstream views on the phenomenon were supported by the observation of left-handed children writing reverse characters, which was insufficient and misleading as right-handed children do so as well. Even today, left-handedness is often the favorite explanation of teachers when children produce mirror writing.
We find mirror writing works on both the cerebral(relating to the brain) and the behavioral level. The former has long been limited to the simplistic 1925 theory by Samue Ort on that one of the cerebral hemispheres (大脑半球) (usually the left) would correctly store the letters while the other would store them in a mirrored form. More recently, however, it has been shown that the brain doesn’t consider orientation (方 向) (left or right) when storing images, a process called mirror generalization.
This mirror generalization process, which can be very useful — for example, to recognize a face by both its left and right sides —leads children to know, from memory, the shape of the characters, but not their left / right orientation. It is important to note that the learning of the form of characters by children is mainly visual, and that children produce almost entirely horizontal mirror writing.
At the behavioral level, when children write the characters from memory, they must give them an. orientation. In countries whose primary languages are written in Latin characters —written from left to right — children tend to reverse mainly characters that face the left, such as 7 and q. However, when children are required to write from right to left, they instead reverse the right-oriented letters. This suggests that children usually orient characters in the direction of their. writing.
Our explanation is supported by analyzing tens of thousands of writing samples from more than a thousand children. Nevertheless, many parents continue to believe that mirror writing might be the indicator of a disorder such as dyslexia (读写困难), as doctors may still suggest that mirror writing by children is a sign of a developmental issue. Our research on typical developing children does not support such claims.
1. What does the author want to show by mentioning the left-handedness view?| A．The necessity of re-explaining mirror writing. |
| B．The role of teachers in addressing mirror writing. |
| C．The difficulty in adjusting children's handedness. |
| D．The challenge of writing faced by left-handed children. |
| A．It can recognize letters in a mirror forms. |
| B．It ignores the orientation during image storage. |
| C．Its ability to store visual images is quite limited. |
| D．Its left hemisphere is more active in storing letters. |
| A．Its pronunciation. | B．Its meaning. |
| C．Its orientation. | D．Its outline. |
| A．7, J and Z. | B．9, D and F. |
| C．6, B and R. | D．8, J and L. |
| A．Limiting children’s exposure to mirror writing. |
| B．Regarding mirror writing as something normal. |
| C．Encouraging children to overcome mirror writing. |
| D．Seeking professional advice on kid’s developmental issues. |
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参考词汇：校园文创设计大赛Campus Cultural and Creative Design Competition
注意：
1.词数不少于 100;
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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3 . There has been a recent wave in Hollywood where studios take popular animated (动画的) films and “improve” upon them by changing them into live-action remakes. The thought that live-action movies are better because they follow the laws of the natural world degrades the style of animation.
The beauty of animation is that its use of caricatures (漫画) and exaggerations (夸张) reflects an amazing amount of creative depth in characters stories that reality cannot. Looking at the bigger picture, it becomes clear that the true purpose of Disney’s ever growing list of live-action remakes is not to comment on the value of animation, although it indirectly does, but a quick way to take advantage of nostalgic (怀旧的) fans.
For evidence, look no further than Disney’s 2019 The Lion King live-action remake, a retelling of the 1994 animated classic. It broke several box office records, raking in a whopping $543.6 million globally in box office sales alone. However, in comparison to the original, the audience satisfaction with the remake decreased greatly on Rotten Tomatoes. This is similar to the the remakes of Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Dumbo, Aladdin, and the countless other live-action remakes Disney has produced within the last 5 years. This means that Disney no longer needs to come up with new and original content because they can make a big profit just by taking beloved stories and remaking them.
In fact, Disney looks at itself as a business, and therefore considers making a profit as one of their main aims.
The problem with this mentality (心态) is that, while Disney makes a huge profit, audiences, artists, and art suffer. They may no longer create new stories or art styles, but rather serve as money-making machines that require directors to produce the same stories with a fresh coat of paint every 10 years or so. If this cycle continues, artists will be held back from creating new lovable characters and stories full of creativity. The feeling of nostalgia when we see old Disney films could possibly never happen-to newer generations if this cycle does not stop.
1. What does the author think of live-action remakes?| A．They slow down Hollywood development. |
| B．They’ve failed to become a popular art form. |
| C．They are poor at showing the beauty of nature. |
| D．They destroy the artistic expression of animation. |
| A．It bases its stories on reality. | B．It uses many special effects. |
| C．It explores characters fully. | D．It brings back fans’ memories. |
| A．To tell us Disney has given up its originality. |
| B．To show Disney has focused more on making money. |
| C．To prove too many remakes have been produced. |
| D．To show audiences have high expectations of remakes. |
| A．It reduces Disney’s incomes. | B．It demands more from directors. |
| C．It hurts new-generation audiences. | D．It causes artists to be less creative. |
4 . The most important life lesson I’ve learned from running is to run at my own pace. This lesson has guided me in many ways.
Running is a metaphor for life. I realized this while
I have
Running carries its own set of expectations, including what it meant to be a strong runner. But expectations also
I used to think it was young people who bore the brunt (冲击) of
That is the message my running coach was trying to convey.
Their pace is not
| A．In turn | B．In particular | C．In advance | D．In depth |
| A．training | B．struggling | C．competing | D．searching |
| A．pitiful | B．grateful | C．impressed | D．embarrassed |
| A．resolution | B．practice | C．limitation | D．motivation |
| A．Against time | B．Ahead of time | C．Of all time | D．Over time |
| A．exposed | B．compared | C．applied | D．suggested |
| A．music | B．business | C．requirement | D．efficiency |
| A．subscribe | B．extend | C．contribute | D．refer |
| A．center on | B．hope for | C．decide on | D．call for |
| A．boss | B．grandparent | C．athlete | D．citizen |
| A．peer pressure | B．separation anxiety | C．sleeping disorder | D．age discrimination |
| A．natural | B．unacceptable | C．ironic | D．significant |
| A．Mind | B．Expect | C．Forget | D．Abandon |
| A．basically | B．gradually | C．alternatively | D．necessarily |
| A．different | B．amazing | C．common | D．fair |
5 . Nearly one year after the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, students across Chicago and the suburbs in the US say when it comes to high school, the thrill is gone. Simple pleasures such as getting together with friends in the hallways and catching up over lunch in the cafeteria are displaced by a dystopian (反乌托邦的) landscape of remote learning and virtual extracurricular.
After 11 months of remote learning, and what many teens describe as the soul-crushing disappointment of canceled after school activities, experts say a growing number of teens are now struggling with anxiety and depression due to heightened levels of stress and social isolation.
Still, the following stories shared by high school students from Chicago and the suburbs provide a glimmer of hope that for some, the pandemic-era heartbreak might develop a generation of resilient (有韧性的) young adults who will be better equipped to deal with life’s twists and turns.
Students who participate in speech, an activity that combines drama and public speaking, have been able to continue this school year, albeit (尽管) over the internet. Instead of delivering emotional monologues (独白) and duets (二重唱) to a live panel of judges, they must summon their best performances while looking into a webcam.
“Dueting is so frustrating when it comes to online,” said Jaylah Hogg, 17, a junior at Thornton Township High School in Harvey. “Wi-Fi at my house is pretty good but my partner’s isn’t. So it’s like I’m trying to time her lines in my head because she’s blanking out when she’s talking. Sometimes the judges do hold that against us.”
But it hasn’t been all bad. After nearly a year of remote learning, Deerfield High School freshman Ben Segall, 15, said he was excited that the school was expected to finally welcome students back into the building for a hybrid program later this month.
The pandemic has also crushed the athletic seasons for sports at many high schools including Senn High School in the Edgewater neighborhood. There, Davion Holmes is staying focused on applying to Wilberforce, Ohio-based Central State University.
And with some of the recent updates to the Illinois High School Association’s COVID-19 guidelines, Holmes said he remained hopeful, albeit realistic, about finally resuming his high school athletic career in the months ahead.
“I didn’t want to have to live through a pandemic, but I worked through it, and that’s something I’ll be able to tell my kids and grandkids someday,” he added.
1. What is a major problem with remote learning?| A．The heavy workload. | B．The lack of social interaction. |
| C．The large number of students in class. | D．The high levels of stress in class. |
| A．The Wi-Fi at her house was dissatisfactory. |
| B．It was hard to work as a team online. |
| C．The judges failed to do their job well. |
| D．She felt nervous in front of the webcam. |
| A．It allowed him to focus on applying to universities. |
| B．It made little difference to his athletic career. |
| C．It is something that has made him stronger. |
| D．It’s the last thing he wants to mention in the future. |
| A．To describe the pandemic’s influence on teens. |
| B．To present different views on the pandemic. |
| C．To call for attention to students’ mental health. |
| D．To encourage teens to be positive toward school life. |
| A．Athletic Career | B．Monologues and Duets |
| C．Best Performances | D．Adapting to Change |
Every child has a dream of what they want to be, right? When Renee Butts was little, her dream was to become a volunteer firefighter because her father was one. Sadly, when she was 14, her beloved father passed away and she was unable to do volunteer work with him. However, she was determined and never gave up, which makes for a good firefighter.
Now Renee is a member of the Carmel Fire Department, where she is required to be an Emergency Medical Technician. She should also be ready to deal with any emergency, like fighting a fire, dealing with a car accident or helping someone who’s sick. Sometimes she is in the driver’s seat or using the water pump. Renec works nine to eleven days a month on 24-hour shifts. She also has a family to care for, as her husband is also a busy firefighter. Dealing with housework and working so much can show her great determination.
When I asked Renee what the best part of her job is, she replied, “Helping people and the satisfaction of saving lives.” I think that shows signs of being a true hero. She’s always willing to do anything for anyone in need. Renee says that her job is frightening at times, but extremely exciting. “The worst part of my job is that I see death. Actually, sometimes, people die in the accident, for which I was very sorry,” said Renee.
I was inspired by this because I know I would be very scared to do her job and don’t know if I could handle seeing people die. With 140 people in her station, Renee is one of the only three women, but that doesn’t bother her. She says everyone gets a fair shot and they all do the same jobs.
We would never live without people like her who have the courage to risk their lives. Renee’s determination rubs off on me and helps me believe that I can do anything.
1. What’s Renee’s job in the Carmel Fire Department? (No more than 5 words)2. What makes Renee balance between doing housework and working so much? (No more than 5 words)
3. Why does the author-think Renee Butts is a true hero? (No more than 15 words)
4. How do you understand the underlined part in Paragraph 4?(No more than 5 words)
5. What do you think of Renee? Please give your reasons. (No more than 25 words)
7 . A new study suggests that early exposure to germs (细菌) strengthens the immune (免疫的) system. That means letting children get a little dirty might be good for their health later in life.
The study involved laboratory mice. It found that adult mice raised in a germ-free environment were more likely to develop allergies, asthma (气喘) and other autoimmune disorders. There are more than eighty disorders where cells that normally defend the body instead attack tissues and organs.
Richard Blumberg, who led the study, is a professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. He says, in 1989, medical researchers who sought to explain these diseases, first discovered that the increasing use of antibacterial soaps and other products, especially early in life, could weaken immune systems.
Now, Dr. Blumberg and his team have what is the first biological evidence to link early exposure to germs to stronger adult immune systems. They say this exposure could prevent the development of some autoimmune diseases.
In the adult germ-free mice, they found that inflammation (发炎) in the lungs and colon (结肠) was caused by so-called killer T cells. These normally fight infection. But they became overactive and targeted healthy tissue—an autoimmune condition seen in asthma and a disease called ulcerative colitis (溃疡性结肠炎).
Dr. Blumberg says the mice raised in a normal environment did not have the same reaction. He says their immune systems had been “educated” by early exposure to germs.
Rates of autoimmune disorders are rising worldwide, but mostly in wealthier, industrialized countries. According to Dr. Blumberg, it might be high time that people were warned to be more careful with the early use of antibiotics (抗生素) and the prescription from their doctors.
Rob Dunn is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He says the new study does not mean people should stop washing. “Wash your hands, but don’t do it with antibacterial soap. Let your kids play in a reasonable amount of dirt and get outside and get exposed to a diversity of things”, says Rob Dunn.
1. Who first found immune systems might get harmed by overly using antibacterial products?| A．A professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. |
| B．A professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston. |
| C．Medical researchers who tried to explain autoimmune disorders. |
| D．Medical researchers who tried to treat autoimmune disorders. |
| A．play in a dirty environment once in a while | B．live in a germ-free environment |
| C．use plenty of antibacterial soaps | D．stay in under developed countries |
| A．Because their T cell fight bacteria effectively. |
| B．Because their T cells attack the healthy tissues. |
| C．Because their lungs become abnormally active. |
| D．Because their lungs have weaker tissues. |
| A．washing hands is no longer a good habit for children |
| B．antibiotics will be forbidden in children’s hospitals |
| C．exposure to dirt helps build children’s character |
| D．the abuse of antibiotics may be condemned |
| A．A teacher’s handbook. | B．A story book. |
| C．A science magazine. | D．A travel journal |
—OK, we will, Mum.
| A．opportunity | B．struggle | C．behavior | D．purpose |
9 . When people ask me how I started writing, I find myself describing an urgent need that I felt to work with language. Having said that, I did not know for a long time what I was looking for. It was not until I followed this feeling to its source that I discovered I had a passion for writing. With some encouragement from my colleagues, I had one of my poems published. This bit of success, however, was the point where my problem began.
Back in 1978, I had to travel between three different campuses in the morning, teaching freshman composition. Afternoons I spent taking my daughter to her ballet and horse-riding lessons. I composed my lectures on the way, and that was all the thinking time I had. When I returned home, there was not enough of me left for writing after a full working day.
As a way out, I decided to get up two hours before my usual time. My alarm was set for 5:00 A.M. The first day I shut it off because I had placed it within arm's reach. The second day I set two clocks, one on my night table, and one out in the hallway. I had to jump out of bed and run to silence it before my family was awoken. This was when my morning writing began.
Since that first morning in 1978, I have been following the habit to this day, not making or accepting many excuses for not writing. I wrote my poems in this manner for nearly ten years before my first book was published. When I decided to write a novel, I divided my two hours: the first for poetry, the second for fiction. Well or badly, I wrote at least two pages a day. This is how my novel, The Line of the Sun. was finished. If I had waited to have the time, I would still be waiting to write my novel.
What I got out of getting up in the dark to work is the feeling that I am in control. For many people, the initial sense of urgency to create easily dies away because it requires making the tough decision: taking the time to create, stealing it from yourself if ifs the only way.
1. What motivated the author to start her writing career?| A．Her strong wish to share. |
| B．Her keen interest in writing. |
| C．Her urgent need to make a living. |
| D．Her passionate desire for fame. |
| A．She was too exhausted to write after a busy day. |
| B．She had trouble in deciding on her writing style. |
| C．She had to take time to discipline her daughter. |
| D．She was unsure about her writing skills. |
| A．In case the clock in her room broke down. |
| B．In case she failed to hear the ringing. |
| C．To force herself out of bed. |
| D．To wake up her family. |
| A．By sticking to writing every morning. |
| B．By writing when her mind was most active. |
| C．By drawing inspirations from classic novels. |
| D．By reducing her teaching hours at school. |
| A．It is never too late to change your job. |
| B．Imaginative ideas die away if not taken in time. |
| C．A tight schedule is no excuse for lack of action. |
| D．Daily life provides ideas for creative writing. |
| A．virtually | B．initially | C．immediately | D．exceptionally |
